Building structural element

ABSTRACT

A BUILDING STRUCTURAL ELEMENT FORMED OF METALLIC OR PLASTIC EXTRUSIONS WHICH MAY BE SNAPPED TOGETHER TO FORM INDIVIDUAL BOX ELEMENTS WHICH IN TURN CAN BE SNAPPED TOGETHER AS PRE-CUT EXTRUSIONS IN THE PROPER SEQUENCE TO FORM THE COMPLETE BUILDING STRUCTURE.

Feb. 16, 1971 Y 3,562,992

BUILDING STRUCTURAL ELEMENT Filed Nov. 29, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet l I N V E N TOR. 10w; 2 l m/sa A T TORNE Y Feb. 16,1971

L. R. KINSEY BUILDING STRUCTURAL ELEMENT 2 Sheets Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 29, 1968 y m5 N R w m n .w 2 06 w u 5 W U m .3 n a B United States Patent Oifice 3,562,992 Patented Feb. 16, 1971 U.S. Cl. 52-588 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A building structural element formed of metallic or plastic extrusions which may be snapped together to form individual box elements which in turn can be snapped together as pre-cut extrusions in the proper sequence to form the complete building structure.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is related to application Ser. No. 667,- 765, filed Sept. 14, 1967, now Patent No, 3,452,498 and application Ser. No. 706,532, filed Feb. 19, 1968, now abandoned, of Lewis R. Kinsey house and roof structures.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (1) This invention pertains to structural elements for building homes and the like and is particularly directed to the use of extrusions as the key to building with aluminum, plastic and the like materials.

(2) Heretofore, the problem of building with metal structures has been the high cost and skill required to assemble or disassemble and move such buildings.

Also, a large variety of special tools, wrenches, clamps and the like were required to put the building together. Highly skilled labor was required. Prefabricated complete structures of steel or aluminum were difiicult to handle, move, and set in place necessitating the use of heavy, costly equipment.

The various components in former metal buildings were difficult to pre-pack with insulation before assembly, and the former structures required a frame to support the Walls, floor, ceiling and roof elements.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The objects of this invention are:

( 1) A permanent all metal structure.

(2) Easy to assemble or disassemble and move.

(3) A minimum of tools required.

(4) Easily erected by unskilled labor.

(5) Unit construction as versed to prefab.

(6) The ability of the walls, floors, ceiling and roof to be pre-packed with insulation before assembly.

(7) The elimination of a frame by designing the walls, floor, ceiling, and roof to be the load carrying members.

(8) No limitations on the size of structure.

(9) Snap-together construction or simply building with blocks.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an exploded sectional view showing one of the snap together box structural elements for forming a building.

FIG. 2 shows the structure of FIG. I snapped together.

FIG. 2a shows the latch release wrench.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view showing a pair of side wall box structural elements to be snapped together.

FIG. 4 is a view showing the box structural elements of FIG. 3 being assembled to a snapped together position.

FIG. 5 is a view of side wall partition box structural element.

FIG. 6 is an outside corner forming box structural element.

FIG. 7 is an assembled view showing various box structural elements of FIGS. 1-6 snapped together to form a complete building structure.

FIG. 8 shows an entrance door to be used with the arrangement of FIG. 7.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As an example of one embodiment of this invention, there is shown, in FIG. 1, the basic individual box element 10 for constructing buildings and the like which comprises two interlocking extruded portions 11 and 12 differing only in the artistic configuration of the inside decorative surface 13 and the outside decorative surface 14. Each of the extruded portions 11 and 12 have hinged connections at 15 comprising longitudinally extending semi-cylindrical sockets 16 and mating connectable and disconnectable longitudinally extending semi-cylindrical pivot portions 17 extending the full length of the extrusions 11 and 12.

Latch devices 18 releasably hold the extruded portions 11 and 12 together and comprise resilient hook members 19 formed integral with and extending longitudinally of the portions 11 and 12 and having a hook surface 20 adapted to releasably snap behind the latching surface 21 formed on the portions 11 and 12 of the box element. In FIG. 2 is shown how the portions 11 and 12 are snapped together by first interengaging one of the hinged connections 15 and then swinging one of the extruded portions from broken line position 11a to closed latched solid line position in FIG. 2 to form the basic individual box element 10.

A latch release wrench 22 such as shown in FIG. 2a, having a shank 23 with an L-handle 24, may be inserted between the hook member 19 and the pivot portion 15 of the other extruded portion and rotated by the L-handle so as to disengage the surfaces 20-21 and thus allow the portions 11 and 12 to be swung apart and separated as in FIG. 2.

In FIG. 3 is shown a pair of basic individual box elements 10 formed as described above, which can be snapped together to form a continuous wall or partition. To this end, each of the extruded portions 11 and 12 forming a basic individual box element 10, has latching notches 26 with latching surfaces 27 and resilient hook members 28 having a latching hook surface 29 which are interengaged and snapped together as shown in FIG. 4 to form an assembled building structure such as the example shown in FIG. 7. The various box elements 10 may be readily released by use of the wrench 22 of FIG. 2a by applying it as shown at 22 in FIG. 4,

FIG. 7 illustrates a portion of a building wall array assembly, A partition connecting box element 10a is shown in FIG. 5 for connecting an inside wall. Corner forming box elements are shown in FIG. 7 as well as door jamb box elements 10d, all of the box elements using the combination of latch devices 18 for detachably interconnecting by snap together action the various box elements to form a building structure. The doors 30 are also composed of box elements 10e slid together and secured by suitable hinge 31 and dovetail 32 connections, the door swinging on suitable hinges 33.

Semi-cylindrical cavities 34 in the members 11 and 12 provide passageways 35 for tie rods 36 for connecting to floors, ceilings and roof structures of the building together while the hollow portions 37 provide openings for water pipes and electrical conduits.

What is claimed is:

1. A building structural element comprising in com-" bination:

(A) an extruded inside portion,

(B) an extruded outside portion;

(C) a pair of hinged connections demountably interconnectable between the extruded portions, each of said hinged connections comprising a pair of hinged portions spacedly arranged on the inside extruded portion and the outside extruded portion, one of said hinged portions on said inside extruded portion cooperating with one of said hinged portions 011 said outside extruded portion to form said hinged connections,

(D) at least one latch device comprising cooperating 15 members one on each of the extruded portions and demountably interconnectable between the extruded portions,

(E) the extruded portions being swung together on either one of their hinged portions and snapped and 20 swung together position by the latched device to form a basic box structural element,

(F) latch notches formed on the basic box structural element,

(G) resilient hook members formed on the basic box structural element, and

(H) the latch notches and hook members being interconnectable to demountably secure a plurality of basic box structural elements together to form a building structure.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,055,399 9/1962 Bush et al. 52-73 1X 3,191,724 6/1965 De Ridder 52588X 3,222,841 12/11965 Lipof 52731 3,301,147 1/1967 Clayton et al 52-588X 3,398,499 8/1968 Moore et al. 52731 3,416,793 12/1968 Fox 52 -588X PRICE C. FAW, JR., Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 52731 

